Self-winding clock



F. GUYE. SELF WINDING CLOCK. APFLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1919.

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Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

FRITZ GUYE, OF NEUCHATEL, SWITZERLAND.

SELF-WINDING- CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 25, 1919. Serial No. 292,669.

To all w 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ GUYE, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing at Neuchatel, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Self-Vinding Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to self winding clocks, and more particularly to apparatus of the kind wherein mechanism is provided for closing the circuit of an electric motor to cause the re-tensioning of the spring and for breaking the said circuit after the spring has stored sufiicient power to drive the clock for a given length of time.

Two disadvantages attaching to the majority of such devices as previously proposed are, firstly, that they cannot be connected to any electricity supply which happens to be available as, for instance, the electric light and power mains whose voltage is such that the body of the clock cannot be connected to them without risk of danger to the persons who have to set and clean the clocks; and, secondly, that no provision is made for permitting the clock to continue operating in the event of a stoppage of the electricity supply at the moment when the motor circuit is closed for the purpose of re-winding the spring.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the kind above set forth wherein by the employment of a comparatively small cam the spring is wound up a considerable number of revolutions so that, with but one winding operation, sufficient energy will be imparted to the driving spring to actuate the clock for a comparatively long period of time.

With this object in view, the invention consists in an automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a pair of contact members engaging said sleeve but normally electrically insulated therefrom, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the positive electrical connection of the said contact members during approximately one revolution of the sleeve, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, means rotatable by the winding mechanism to rotate said cam periodically during the rotation of said mechanism, a rotatable element associated with the cam, and means rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam through the medium of the said rotatable element.

The invention further consists in the arrangement and combination of parts substantially as particularly claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a convenient embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the essential parts of the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electrical connections;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the controlling cam.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings :a is the plate of the clock. The barrel b is rotatably mounted on an arbor 0 supported by the plate a. The spring contained in the barrel is shown diagrammatically at 5 and is wound up by means of the barrel drum pointed out in the appended through a tram of gearing 6 from a worm h (Z arranged in the prolongation of the axis of the electric motor 6 connected to the elec tric supply as shown in Fig. 2. The barrel by means of a train of gearing 7 drives a split sleeve f which is rotatably mounted on an arbor 8. The sleeve f is split to form a notch 9 in which, in the normal position, the projecting ends of two spring contact pieces 9 are adapted to engage. Only one of the contact pieces 9 is shown in the drawings. lined with insulating material, so that the ends of the contacts g, when restingin the notch, are electrically insulated from the sleeve f and arbor are connected to the motor circuit through terminals 1, 2 (Fig. 2).

The drum of the barrel 7) carries a stud b which engages once during each revolution of the barrel with a pin wheel h (Figs. 1

and 3). On the shaft of this pin wheel there is fixed a cam i of insulating material. On the periphery of this cam is adapted to bear the nose j of a lever fulcrumed at j. At the end of this lever farthest from its nose j is provided a contact piece 70. A spring 10 is attached at one end to the lever and gives the contact piece is a constant tendency to press against another hereinafter described and more Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

The three surfaces of the notch 9 are 8. The contact pieces 9 p H contact piece carried by a strip 1 which is wheel m axially against the action electrically connected to the motor by means of a terminal 3 (Fig. 2). The parts carrying the lever and the strip Z are electrically insulated from each other and both parts are electrically insulated from the clock late. p The terminal 4: is in metallic connection with the lever j, so that the spring 10 in acting upon the latter has a tendency to 'close the contact and through it the motor circuit, but the contact is only closed when the nose y bears on the depressed part of the cam 21.

A star Wheel m is provided with a central boss loosely mounted on an arbor fixed in the clock plate. This wheel is normally held in engagement with the wheel h by a spring a. The wheel m overlaps the barrel 1) and its teeth normally lie in the path of an arm 0' fixed to the arbor of the barrel. On

the periphery of the box of the barrel there is provided an inclined plane 6 which, in the rotation of the barrel, moves the star of the spring n, and thus disengages the star wheel from the wheel 71..

The displaced position of the star wheel m is shown dotted in Fig. 3.

The improved apparatus operates as follows: When the clock is to be set going, the cam 71 is rotated until the nose j lies at the end 11 of the recess in the cami. In this position the terminals 3 and 4 are connected electrically, and the motor, being connected to the electric supply, acts upon the train of earin 6 so as to wind the driving spring 5 of the clock by means of the barrel 6, which is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 12. .At each revolution of the latter the finger b engages with the pins of the wheel h and shifts the latter one step, while the inclined plane 72 raises the wheel m out of engagement with the wheel h and therefore out of the path of the finger b.

As soon as the barrel begins to revolve, the socket 7 through the gearing 7 rotates also. This causes the contacts 9 to ride up on to the sleeve f, thereby electrically con necting the contacts 9' and terminals 1 and 2. The motor 6 is thus connected to the electric supply in parallel with the terminals 3 and 4. Theresult of this is that this motor revolves until the strips 9 have been brought back into the notch of the sleeve 7 so as to interrupt the connection between terminals 1 and 2.

The barrel has now made six revolutions and the spring 5 in wound to drive the clock for twenty-four hours. Since the nose j is still in the recess of the cam z and the contact k still maintains the connection between the terminals 3 and 4, the motor 0 continues to rotate and causes the contacts g again to rule out of the notch 9 and electrically connect the terminals 1 and 2. When the contacts 9 have been thus moved out of the notch 9, the end 13 of the cam recess passes the nose 7' and causes the lever to swing on the pivot j and break contact between the terminals 3 and 4. The barrel 2) then concontinues to rotate until the sleeve 7 has completed another revolution and the terminals 1 and 2 are again disconnected by the contacts g falling into the notch 9. The spring 5 has now been wound to keep the clock running for forty-eight hours.

At each winding the barrel 6 makes a complete number of revolutions; so that after winding, the barrel Z) always stops in such a position that the inclined plane 22 and the stud b are clear of the star wheel m.

The spring 5 now slowly unwinds and rotates the arbor in the usual manner in the direction of the arrow 12. During each revolution of the arbor the finger c revolves the star wheel m one step in a clockwise direction, and after the clock has been running for twenty-four hours the wheel m will have been rotated six steps by the finger 0. Each movement of the wheel m causes an anticlockwise movement of the wheel h and cam z' and, after six of such movements, the nose j falls into the cam recess at the end 13 and causes the contact- 76 to connect the terminals 3 and 4;.

If current is flowing in the supply leads at the moment when the nose j falls into the recess of the cam z, the motor will cause the barrel to rotate and the contacts 9 to leave the notch 9 as before described, and the spring 5, still possessing a reserve tension for twenty-four hours, will be rewound by another six revolutions of the barrel, to raise its tension again to that necessary for driving the clock for 48 hours. Immediately after the contacts 9 leave the notch 9 and connect the terminals 1 and 2, the cam 2' will be rotated in a clockwise direction and lift the nose 7' on to the higher surface of the cam, thereby disconnecting the terminals 3 and 4:. When the sleeve f has completed one revolution the contacts 9 will fall into 7 the notch 9 and disconnect the terminals 1 and 2.

If no current is flowing in the supply leads at the moment when nose j falls into the cam recess after the clock has been running for twenty-four hours, the contact It will connect the terminals 3 and 4, but the barrel will not be rotated since no current is available for running the motor 6. The reserve tension of the spring 5 will now operate the clock mechanism until the supply of current is restarted. In the period dur- 125 ing which the reserve tension is being utilized, the nose j remains in the cam recess and the contact Z0 therefore maintains electrical connection between the terminals 3 and 4, so that-immediately the current is 130 again switched on, the motor will rotate the barrel and cause a rewinding of the spring 5 for running the clock for a period between twenty-four and forty-eight hours, depending upon the position occupied by the nose j with respect to the end 11 of the cam recess at the moment when the current re-commences flowing inthe supply leads.

In order to avoid any over-straining of the spring, the latter is arranged inside the barrel in such a manner that it is able to slip over the barrel drum when it has attained its maximum tension. This winding mechanism is applicable to clocks having a staff escapement, as well as to pendulum clocks. It is also possible to arrange the various parts in such a manner as to cause the winding to take place, for instance, every fortyeight hours, sO that the clock will be wound to go for seventy-two hours when its spring movement is fully wound up.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a pair of contact members engaging said sleeve but normally electrically insulated therefrom, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the positive electrical connection of the said contact members during approximately one revolution of the sleeve, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, means rotatable by the winding mechanism to rotate said cam periodically during the rotation of said mechanism, a rotatable element associated with the cam, and means rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam through the medium of the said rotatable element.

2. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a pair of contact members engaging said sleeve but normally electrically insulated therefrom, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the positive electrical connection of the said contact members during approximately one revolution of the sleeve, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, means rotatable by the winding mechanism to rotate said cam periodically during the rotation of said mechanism, a rotatable star wheel engaging a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam, and means rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam through the medium of the said star and pin wheels.

3. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbebefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a pair of contact members engaging said sleeve but normally electrically insulated therefrom, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the positive electrical connection of the said contact members during approxi mately one revolution of the sleeve, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, means rotatable by the winding mechanism to rotate said cam periodically in one direction during the rotation of said mechanism, a rotatable star wheel engaging a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam, and means rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam in the opposite direction through the medium of the said star and pin wheels.

4. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a notch in said sleeve having insulated surfaces, a pair of contact members normally engaging in said notch, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the pair of contact members to engage the conducting surface of the sleeve until the sleeve has rotated sufficiently to allow the contact members to fall again into the notch, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, means rotatable by the winding mechanism to rotate said cam periodically in one direction during the rotation of the said mechanism, a rotatable star wheel engaging a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam, and means rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam in the opposite direction through the medium of said star and pin wheels.

5. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a notch in said sleeve having insulated surfaces, a pair of contact members normally engaging in said notch, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the pair of contact members to engage the conducting surface of the sleeve until the sleeve has rotated sufficiently to allow the contact members to fall again into the notch, a controlling cam, a motorcircuit make and break device engaging said cam, a projection rotatable with and carried by the spring barrel, a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam and receiving periodic rotation from said projections to rotate said cam peposite direction riodically in one direction during the rotation of the said barrel, a rotatable star wheel normally engaging said pin wheel, and an arm carried by the barrel arbor and rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam in the opthrough the medium of said f star and pin wheels.

6. An automatic apparatus for Winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a notch in said sleeve having insulated surfaces, a pair of contact members normally engaging in said notch, means whereby the actuation of the spring winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the pair of contact members to en age the conducting surface of the sleeve until the sleeve has rotated sufficiently to allow the contact members to fall again into the notch, a controlling cam, a motorcircuit make and break device engaging said cam, a projection rotatable with and carried by the spring barrel, a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam and receiving periodic rotation from said projection to rotate sald cam periodically in one direction during the rotation of the said barrel, a rotatable star wheel normally engaging said pin wheel, an arm carried by the barrel arbor and rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam in the opposite direction through the medium of said star and pin Wheels, and means for placing the star Wheel out of engagement with the pin wheel in the period during which the pin Wheel is beling rotated by the projection on the barre 7. An automatic apparatus for winding spring-driven clocks of the kind hereinbefore described, comprising a rotatable sleeve of conducting material, a notch in said sleeve having insulated surfaces, a pair of contact members normally engaging in said notch, means whereby the actuation of the spring Winding mechanism causes rotation of the sleeve and the pair of contact members to engage the conducting surface of the sleeve until the sleeve has rotated sufficiently to allow the contact members to fall again into the notch, a controlling cam, a motor-circuit make and break device engaging said cam, a projection rotatable with and carried by the spring barrel, a pin wheel secured on the spindle of the cam and receiving periodic rotation from said projection to rotate said cam periodically in one direction during the rotation of the said barrel, a rotatable star wheel normally engaging said pin wheel, an arm carried by the barrel arbor and rotatable by the expansion of the driving spring for periodically rotating the cam in the opposite direction through the medium of said star and pin wheels, and an inclined plane carried by the barrel for lifting the star wheel out of engagement with the pin wheel in the period during which the pin wheel is being rotated by the projection on the barrel.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

FRITZ GUYE.

have signed my 

